The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-07-13

ance of President Grier, n noble, earnest, gift
cd man-a patriot who lett leg and be,
| loved brother on the bloody field of Gaines
Mil. And again we thank God, as in the
case OF Patton and Bonner. Between the ex-
crcises of the forenoon ana AFTERNOON, we
| have the honor of taking luhch WIN FrGl.
| Kennedy and Mrs. Bonner Of the Female
College. They nre holding n royal picnic
under lurllly oaks in tho campus. Prof. Ken,
nedy Is q thin intellectual, courtly mar, still
handsome Mrs. Bonner Is noble, earnest
woman in middle life, with an nuthoress-like e
| head and face, and q manner In which Dug
nifty, corlimlily and grace are admirably MN
glcd. Her life has been earnestly, pracllcaliy,
efficiently devoted TO the cause of education.
| Prof Kennedy having resigned the presidency
of the Female College, Mrs. Bonner Is now lis
l'rinciI.;ll, with Mr.. Henry Bonner us Its Vice
| PrinciIpa We know Of no other woman III
South Carolina to whom we would so quickly,
unqurStiOningly commit daughter or sister
us to Mrs. Bonner, Of the Due west Feinale
College. ,,..
tinguiShed people. we cSpy Judge Mctiowan
and Judge COthran. They are ponderous
men. with great. minds, great hearts ana ana
might nigh pass for Siesiricnd and Wolfram In the
Nirbclungenlird. We harbor the thonGht
of crossing the ring to greet these Two Sreat
and good public servants, hut really they arc
so big they tire us, SO we remain seated pc
tween Miss Julia Kennedy and Mr. Seldcn
Kennedy, who are small and charmingiy
courteous.
But the eliminating point is not yet! First
VIC must all 60 to our temporary beloved
lhomes and wash away the Crime OF the fore
noon and afternoon. There! we nave done
and here we are again In Lindsay Hall; Tor
The commencement exercises OF Due West
Female College. In Gods providence we are
done with the boys and with the brass band.
Now we are to have the lovely llttle girls anu
the beloved pianos. The scene Is wonderful
magnificent Two thousand people, 1t seems
to us, arc in the auditorium and five hundred
on the stage. On the stage nre all the college
girls in white and vast array-with the leach
crs and pianos gracefully intermingled The
apart. Frof Patton opens with prayer. Ihen
the whole school rise and slnga good EpiSco-
pal Gloria in Excclsls. Then Mr.. Selden
Msme adden aeS .GS of WITH Wnnsboro Thsn
u beautiful suite Of piano pieces-pleces for
one, two and three pianos-two. four, eight
and twelve hands-with here and there q
praise and admiration, are Miss Mamie Lind
say, Mifs Belle Neel, aud Miss Macie Brice.
Then comes the alumne essay, by Miss Ma
reads it, while Miss Wicklifie, an extremely
intellectual looking brunette with magnif
cent black eyes. and a long white train,
stands beside him. The picture is fine one on, G.,
comes Mendelssohn's Rondo Capricciaso, in
which Miss McDarid. one Of the plano teach.
ors OF the college, shows clear. clean, ies iti.
mate execution and great taste, without
humping and without mannerlsDl: This
Young lady plays beautifully. Miss Ed
wards, another of the teachers, has beautl-
full and well trained soprano voice. Both
these young ladies are reevidently accom-
plishcd, conscientious. honest musicians,
sticking To their texts, and taking no undue
liberties with fine compositions. Then comes
another chain of fine music. In when MISS
Susie Lee playsn magnificent waltz, aud
plays IL well.
But it is vain for us to follow to Its end the
long and elaborate programme Strength
Mrs. homer deliver diplomas to thirty-two
young ghls, who receive them with quiet
and modest grace. They also distribute many
beautiful prizes and medals. Miss Emma
Perrin, daughter of Cnmnty Treasurer Per.
rim, Of Abhcvillc, is the vHledictorian. Judge
Cothran reads her finely written vale
diclory ard follows ~ mp with some pnrling
remarks to Prof Kennedy, bearing upon ne M
latter's resignation of the presidency OF the
Due West Female Cnllege. These remarks
are 80 quaint, and tender, and beautiful, that
they bring tears TO our eyes. The two men
have lived In intimacy through childhood,
bOyhood, manhood and middle age: and the
speaker paraphrascs John Anderson, My
10 John" into John Kennedy, My 10 John."'
He applies 1t with exquisite pnthos, and
makes lifelong friend OF the humoie @ ice ealtop S
scene closes, and the twenty-five hundred
people who arc In the hall and campus. HE
them to hospilable beds. And early on the
morrow these same twenty five hundred peo-
pie ret them to their homes, far and near. by
mountain and by sea, North, South, East,
WeSt-the lovely little maidcns with the rest
less parasols, the pink-faced boys with the
clean collars, the fat alumni. the grave and
reverend gentlemen, the elderly ladies with
baskets, the preachers, the teachers, the edl-
tors, the publicans, the Sinners and the way
faring men.
Our strength Is gone, our space Is gone, and
the tiurers Of our right hand, together with
our pen point, turn up their noses ~ us IN
dcriSnn: hut still we quit the grateful and
inspiring theme with regret. Due west IL
MS beautiful. We shall go back to 1t next
mcr. Does our brother Bonner hear the
dreadful threat?